So Heidi and Seal Finally Had a Girl...

(Photo from HERE)

..so now what? I mean, yeah they make beautiful babies together and I love watching their family grow. But so far, they've only been spitting out cute little boys. You know where I'm going with this, right? (By the way, if you don't know who these people are, this is a great article about how they met and their backgrounds.)

(Photo from HERE)

It is always interesting to me when mixed couples have children, especially when those children are girls. I love to see the different skin, eye, and hair color/texture combos that come out, you just never know! So I wonder what this little girl, little Lou Sulola Samuel, will look like. I wonder what her hair will be like. I wonder what it will be like for her growing up in this culture and society with a very White, blonde, mother (and not to mention a White half sister). They look and seem like super loving people, and I am sincerely hoping they will make a conscious effort to raise her with a strong sense of self worth. It's one thing for use to debate about growing up in a White beauty-obsessed culture but to actually grow up with a mom whose looks help put food on the table, and then possibly look nothing like her, will definitely be interesting! She may have no issues at all, or, she may grow up wondering why she isn't fair with long blonde hair.

I love this article from LoveIsntEnough.com about caring for the hair of Black children when you, the parent, are not Black yourself. I can only imagine what it must be like to wait nine glorious (sometimes) months for your beautiful baby, as you try to picture what features they will have or what the gender might be. Then all of a sudden they get here, and on top of their head is a mass of curls that you have no idea how to approach. Terri from TightlyCurly.com knows just what I mean.

So here's a question for anyone out there who knows someone or is someone who was raised with a White mom and a dad of another race/ethnicity/whatever (you know what I mean!). How was it as a child for you? Were your raised to appreciate and embrace both "sides" of your heritage in a conscious way or was it considered not a big deal? Did being darker or lighter than one of your parents make you uncomfortable ever in social situations?

I ask all this having been raised with a mother who is also a social worker. She dealt a lot with adoptions and I remember her talking about the importance of educating White parents who wanted to adopt Black children. This is an old issue but I think it has some relevance to actually raising your own mixed race children, especially in a society that tends to want to call any person with African ancestry Black.

I know, I know, a lot to think about, but I want to hear what you all think.